FAISALABAD: Caretaker Provincial Minister for Higher Education/Chairman Standing Cabinet Committee for Law & Order Punjab Manzoor Qadir said that tight security arrangements would be ensured during Muharram-ul-Haraam to foil all nefarious designs of the miscreants.
Addressing a press conference at Municipal Corporation Hall here on Sunday, he said that all law enforcing departments including police have been made alert with a clear-cut direction to keep vigil eye on movement of the suspects so that any untoward incident could be averted before its occurrence.
He said that role of religious scholars was imperative for maintaining law and orders. Therefore, he appealed the Ulema Kiram to promote religious harmony and urged the nation to forge unity among their ranks and avoid from sectarianism so that peace could be ensured in the society for greater national interest. He said that control rooms would be made functional at provincial, divisional and district level which would remain active round the clock.
The minister said that divisional commissioner and police officers had pointed out some security related issues which would be resolved on war-footing to make the Muharram security foolproof. He said that a comprehensive strategy was devised for Muharram security which would be implemented in true spirit. This strategy would not affect trade and business activities, he said, adding that all trouble spots would be watched regularly and no one would be allowed to enter and pass through these points without search.
Responding to a question, the provincial minister said that agreement with International Monetary Fund (IMF) had finalized due to painstaking efforts of the incumbent government after which the government had announced huge reduction in the prices of oil products. The government was committed to provide maximum relief to the masses and the public would soon start enjoying fruits of pro-people polices of present government, he asserted.
Provincial Minister for Information Amir Meer also addressed the conference and said that there was no negligence on the part of police on 9th May. The police was already directed clearly not to shot anyone from the general public only to save precious human lives. Therefore, the police took appropriate steps to control the angry mobs on 9th May when they attacked on the office of sensitive agency and residence of federal interior minister in Faisalabad.
Responding to yet another query, he said that 58 cases registered against the arsonists were under trial in military courts whereas other cases registered against hundreds accused would be trialed according to the law.
Regarding arrest of Chairman PTI Imran Khan, he said that action would be taken against him according to the law and Imran Khan would have to face the music according to his deeds.
Provincial Minister for Health Dr Javaid Akram said that the doctors and paramedics should honor their oath as they were bound to prioritize the patients instead of their personal gains. He said that caretaker Chief Minister had been informed about the problems and demands of the doctors’ community and their issues would be resolved amicably.
About lack of medicines in hospitals, he said that administration of all hospitals had been allowed to purchase necessary medicines at their own. He said that the chemicals and other material used in the medicines were imported and their rates had increased at international level which was the main cause of hike in their prices.
Provincial Minister Auqaf Syed Azfar Ali, Divisional Commissioner Silwat Saeed, City Police Officer (CPO) Usman Akram Gondal and others were also present in the conference.